


to love is to hurt & to comfort

by angelaxy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Sengoku Era, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelaxy/pseuds/angelaxy
Summary: Whether it was the war, the mission, or rumored dead, Mitsuhide vowed to return to her.To the very one who never failed to trust in him.
Relationships: Mitsuhide/Reira
Collections: ( fifty love stories ), Ange's Writersmonth2020, Writer's Month 2020, ` Romance Across Time `





	to love is to hurt & to comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Because I have a need of writing him, I just had to~  
>  ~~there'll be steamy continuation lol~~  
>  xoxo

Time had its way to slow down when someone must have to wait, slow enough to let worry and concern consume their sanity, to affect those around them.

A month had passed.

Mitsuhide had been away for a spying mission that he must fulfil concerning another rebellion over the Oda clan. Some time passed and no Mitsuhide, no news, nothing but a grave rumor within Azuchi castle.

“Lord Mitsuhide hasn’t returned yet.” A retainer said in one corner of the hallways.

“Perhaps he did not survive, I heard he went to quite a dangerous territory.” Another said, though not with disrespectfulness.

Reira heard them, heard _everything_ people said about Mitsuhide, and she approached the retainers. Quite angered with how people seemed to underestimate him. “What are you talking about? He’s still alive and will return home.” A stern gaze to each of the retainers, who bowed and apologized, then without another word she left, chin held high.

But the rumor remained, spreading around Azuchi like a wildfire, no matter how much she’d tried to diffuse the tension in the air.

Then another half of a month passed.

Mitsuhide’s loyal vassal trailed her from behind in the hallway of Akechi manor when she was heading towards Mitsuhide’s unoccupied chambers. “Lady Reira.”

Reia halted her steps for a moment, turning around to face the vassal. “Do you hear anything about him, Kyubei?”

He bowed deep to her. “My apologies, nothing yet.” Kyubei shook his head regretfully. “Lord Mitsuhide will return. Trust him, My Lady.”

The vassal did not have to explain his reasoning, Reira herself knew. It was all about _trust_. “I am, I know by heart he’ll return safely. I won’t trust a rumor without proof.” Turning, she resumed to walk to Mitsuhide’s chambers, leaving Kyubei standing in the hallway.

But she was dreading the possibility; if a messenger would come, only to bring the news about his death. With that bitter thought, she slid open the shoji door, wide, then stepped inside. Nothing had changed, just exactly how his chambers supposed to be, no painting, no poem calligraphy, nothing hung on the wall. No decoration either, mysterious like the owner.

Reira sat down on the tatami floor behind his desk. Empty papers, a brush and black ink laid atop of the wooden surface. So, she took the brush and dipped it in the ink, scribbling the words she wanted to convey.

_I miss you._

It was no poetry like Mitsuhide always loved, only simple words but a tear had fallen unknowingly, staining the paper and smudged the corner of the last letter. Putting down the brush beside the paper, she placed both her arms on top of the desk, chin resting on top of her hands, inhaling the familiar scent of him that was left in this room — without her realizing it, she fell asleep on his desk.

The shoji doors were wide open and the afternoon breeze sneaked into the chambers. Some time after she was asleep, Reira felt a soft caress against her hair.

 _The wind?_ Her eyelids fluttered open as the caress began to change into combing, a familiar touch of cool fingers running through her hair. But wind couldn't do that, could they? The incense scent was stronger, filling her nostrils. His scent. Through the hazy mind, a realization dawned which caused her eyes to open wide. Reira jolted awake, sitting upright.

A familiar chuckle that used to infuriate her now was the sound that made her heart ache with longing. “Mitsuhide...?!”

Mitsuhide had been sitting right by her side, an elbow leaned against the desk surface, smirking his crooked smirk as if he was there the whole time. Not disappeared for almost two months without a word.

Reira felt all the bottled-up frustration rising up to the surface, her hand curled into small fists and she threw light punches against his chest. “Why?! ..Why did it take so long?! It's almost two months, Mitsuhide, why did you just come back?! You could send a word to me, but you didn’t! How dare you—!”

Mitsuhide let her to spat out every angry word and let her fists beat against his chest, it was much deserved. He stared at her, watching tears falling from her eyes. When she ended up sobbing in his chest, Mitsuhide embraced her. No word of apology could undo what he had done — that he had worried her so tremendously.

“It is a true relief to see you healed from the wounds, well enough to punch quite powerfully.” He teased, tightening his embrace.

“Don’t tease..” Reira sobbed, fingers clung to his kimono. “ _Just don’t_.” Now she knew how he felt when he almost lost her to death one and half a month ago. “Why didn’t you send a messenger…? Or a letter? Or anything.” _Just so I knew you were alive._

He stroked her hair, soothing her until her sobs slowed. “I have no excuse, only that the situation won’t allow me.”

“Everyone said you..” The words uttered more to herself than to him but she was unable to finish it. ‘Died’ was the last thing she wanted to imagine him to be.

Releasing her shoulders, Mitsuhide’s long finger lifted her chin. “Do you believe them?”

“No, I didn’t want to..”

“I am far more than capable of surviving.” Now that he had her, Mitsuhide would make sure he would survive even through the deadliest war.

A sigh of relief, her fingers let go of his kimono. “I know, but I love you for your weakness.” Because it made him more human than the untrustworthy warlord reputation everyone seemed to force on him. Even though his chambers showed nothing about his interest or his weakness, she knew him too well, to recognize all the weaknesses Mitsuhide hid behind his teasing smirks and bloody hands.

He had a heart that was capable of love, too much even.

And she was the only one who could see through him.

Mitsuhide himself had the revelation long before and he had known his only weak spot. “You— “ _are my weakness_ , but the rest of the words remained on the tip of his tongue. There was a better way to express those without any spoken words. He leaned down to kiss her tears away, one cheek then another, her sobs subsided gradually. “Have you been crying while waiting for me to return?”

“No. I never— “ An inhale of breath, “I’m crying now only because I’m mad at you.”

His chuckle was nearly inaudible. “Then, I shall make you forget your wrath.”

“It will take one month.”

“As long as you want.” Mitsuhide’s lips captured hers, arms encircled around her smaller figure, and his embrace held her captive. “I have been missing you.” In all his missions, her face never failed to appear in his mind, and inside his heart.

“I don’t.” Reira said, pouting at him.

“Is that true? How unfortunate of me.” He gently lowered her on the tatami floor, straddling her.

“Someone will pass through.”

Her words invited another smirk from him, his eyes alight with mischief. “My. What are you expecting, dear one? I merely intend to kiss, nothing else.” Oh, how he missed teasing his beloved.

Blushing furiously, her lips pouted even more and Mitsuhide chuckled, kissing her lips to erase the pout and soon enough, it truly disappeared the moment she kissed him with more fervor.

All that matter was, he returned.

_I returned for you, my dear,_

_I will crawl my way home if I have to._

_For you._

Mitsuhide broke the kiss with much reluctance when their lungs screamed for air. He smiled, not the teasing smile or smirk she grew accustomed to, but a smile of fondness. “I intend to have you once the moon and the stars appear in the sky, when it is late enough and no one would wander in the hallways outside these chambers.” He lowered his lips to her ear, speaking with his sultry voice while at the same time, tugging her obi sash teasingly. “Until you scream and beg. _Tonight_.” It only took a moment before he placed yet another kiss on her neck.

His kiss was light and fleeting, teasing, but she let out sounds that were far from appropriate, encouraging Mitsuhide to tease her with more kisses, smirking against her soft skin. Even if someone passed by, she wouldn’t care. Her arms circled around his back, just to feel him close. A reminder that he returned _home_.

Mitsuhide vowed before he left for his spying mission, and he would fulfil each of them. Treating her the best food and drink in the teahouse they frequently visited, he would bring her to the side of the lake they went to, and it began tonight — tonight he would make her forget what his absence felt like.

Whether it would take one month or two months or the whole year to make up for his absence, he won’t mind.

All this time, he’d been _homesick_ and _lovesick_.

The first decoration in his wall was her tearstained words on the paper.

‘I miss you.’


End file.
